For Lush's first proper full-length, the band opted to work again with Robin Guthrie. Though generally delightful, Spooky suffers from being bottlenecked into a dream-drift haze that isn't as convincing as the ones concocted by the likes of My Bloody Valentine and A.R. Kane. On paper the Guthrie/Lush collaboration seems like a match made in heaven; however, this lacks a punch and balance that begins to frustrate by the latter half. Whatever dynamics Lush appear to be capable of are rendered limp by Guthrie's sonic razing. Saving the record from being buried is a batch of quality songs. Despite its faults, it's more hit than miss. It's easy to criticize the lack of drive, but the drifting nature is rapturous in spots. Regardless, the draftiness is relied upon too often.
The three singles released from the LP ("Nothing Natural," "For Love," and "Superblast!") showcase the aggressive side, if only through a relative nature. As with much of the band's early material, guitars dart and veer all over hell's half acre -- just as you hear a gentle strum in one ear, another guitar whisks by like an overhead jet, only to be grounded to a halt by a swollen jolt from some netherworld. If stripped of its myriad effects, "For Love" would sound like a top-rate Go-Betweens song, filled with lovely jangles and smart songwriting. Closer "Monochrome" is a melancholy ballad whose cousin is Catherine Wheel's "Black Metallic." Beneath all the swooning and swaying, it almost suckers you into missing the cheesy "dum-dum-dum" drum lead-in to the choruses, airlifted out of your least favorite Top 40 schlock ballad circa '86. Those devils!
These 2 CDs, put out by ClubAC30 and avail thru Tonevendor are essential for fans of classic and modern Shoegaze.Aural Bliss has been highlighting tracks from the CDs...a couple of weeks back they aired Britta Phillips of Luna with a take on How You Satisfy Me orginally done by Spectrum.This week's show will feature the Vancouver Dreampop band Hinterland covering the Lush classic, For Love.To h...
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Ok, so if Cocteau Twins made you a little uncomfortable cuz you thought they were strictly for the brooding, romanticist college-boy crowd (no arguments there. I was certainly guilty as charged) then you gotta give Lush a listen. A perfect melding of beautiful, angelic female vocals with, yes, lush, loud guitar reverb. Play it loud, play it proud.
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Just love the album that this track comes from. Played the cassette in the car until it warped, it was that good.The sort of music that you just crank up and immerse yourself in and when you're finish you feel totally cleansed.
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These 2 CDs, put out by ClubAC30 and avail thru Tonevendor are essential for fans of classic and modern Shoegaze.Aural Bliss has been highlighting tracks from the CDs...a couple of weeks back they aired Britta Phillips of Luna with a take on How You Satisfy Me orginally done by Spectrum.This week's show will feature the Vancouver Dreampop band Hinterland covering the Lush classic, For Love.To h...
More >
I've been listening to bands I haven't listened to in a while - moving out into the middle of nowhere will do that to you. I've also been listening to new stuff thanks to discovering Mog (ie, Anna Tsuchiya - thanks Rei), but today Lush is getting a lot of attention from my iPod. I was always irritated with them for never playing anything from Spooky live after the Spooky tour - that was THE d...
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Ok, so if Cocteau Twins made you a little uncomfortable cuz you thought they were strictly for the brooding, romanticist college-boy crowd (no arguments there. I was certainly guilty as charged) then you gotta give Lush a listen. A perfect melding of beautiful, angelic female vocals with, yes, lush, loud guitar reverb. Play it loud, play it proud.
More >
| Title | Lyrics | Buy |
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| 1 Stray |
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| 2 Nothing Natural |
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| 3 Tiny Smiles |
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| 4 Covert |
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| 5 Ocean |
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| 6 For Love |
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| 7 Superblast! |
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| 8 Untogether |
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| 9 Fantasy |
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| 10 Take |
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| 11 Laura |
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| 12 Monochrome |
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Click to purchase…
© 2006-2009 Mog Inc. All Rights Reserved
 "Spooky")
